Medical Definition of Chloride shift

1.
When CO2 enters the blood from the tissues, it passes into the red blood cell and is converted by carbonate dehydratase to bicarbonate (HCO3-); HCO3- ion passes out into the plasma while Cl- migrates into the red blood cell. Reverse changes occur in the lungs when CO2 is eliminated from the blood.
Synonym: Hamburger's phenomenon.
(05 Mar 2000)

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